Nemesia plant named ‘Sumnem 04’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Nemesia  plant named ‘Sumnem 04’, characterized by its upright and compact plant habit; freely branching habit; short internodes; dense and bushy growth habit; early flowering habit; and numerous white-colored flowers.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Nemesia caerulea cultivar Sumnem 04.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Nemesia plant, botanically known as Nemesia caerulea and referred to by the name ‘Sumnem 04’.

The new Nemesia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Lüdinghausen, Germany. The objective of the program is to create new upright, vigorous and early-flowering Nemesia cultivars with numerous flowers and unique flower colors.

The new Nemesia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor of a proprietary Nemesia caerulea selection identified as Seedling 1, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary Nemesia caerulea selection identified as Seedling 6, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent in April, 2002. The cultivar Sumnem 04 was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Lüdinghausen, Germany in March, 2003.

Asexual reproduction of the new Nemesia by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Lüdinghausen, Germany since March, 2003, has shown that the unique features of this new Nemesia are stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new Nemesia has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following characteristics have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of ‘Sumnem 04’ and distinguish ‘Sumnem 04’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright and compact plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Short internodes; dense and bushy growth habit.     -   4. Early flowering habit.     -   5. Numerous white-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Nemesia differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in flower color as plants of the female parent selection have light purple-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Nemesia differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Nemesia are more upright than plants of the         male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Nemesia have stronger lateral branches than         plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Nemesia can be compared to plants of the cultivar Pensug, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,811. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Lüdinghausen, Germany, plants of the new Nemesia differed from plants of the cultivar Pensug in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Nemesia were more compact than plants of         the cultivar Pensug.     -   2. Plants of the new Nemesia flowered about one to two weeks         earlier than plants of the cultivar Pensug.     -   3. Plants of the new Nemesia has larger flowers than plants of         the cultivar Pensug.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Nemesia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Nemesia. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Sumnem 04’ grown in a hanging basket container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and averaged measurements describe plants grown in Lüdinghausen, Germany, in an outdoor nursery during the spring and summer with day temperatures ranging from 16 to 24° C., night temperatures ranging from 8 to 12° C. and light levels ranging from 25,000 to 45,000 lux. After rooting, plants were grown for about four months in hanging basket containers. Plants were pinched once. Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Nemesia caerulea cultivar Sumnem 04. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary Nemesia caerulea selection             identified as Seedling 1, not patented.         -   Male parent.—Proprietary Nemesia caerulea selection             identified as Seedling 6, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 7 days at 18° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 8 to 9 days at 18° C.         -   Time to develop roots, summer.—About 16 days at 18° C.         -   Time to develop roots, winter.—About 24 days at 18° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; freely branching; 162C in             color. -   Plant description:     -   -   General appearance.—Upright and compact plant habit. Freely             branching, typically about six to eight primary lateral             branches each with numerous secondary and tertiary lateral             branches. Short internodes; dense and bushy growth habit.             Numerous white-colored zygomorphic flowers. Moderately             vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 25 to 30 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 20 to 25 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 20 cm. Diameter: About 2 to             3 mm. Internode length: About 2.5 to 4 cm. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple. Shape:             Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Rounded. Length: About 2.5 to             3 cm. Width: About 8 to 10 mm. Margin: Slightly serrate.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Venation pattern: Pinnate, arcuate. Petiole length: About 3             to 4 mm. Petiole diameter: About 1 mm. Petiole texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             Developing leaves, upper surface: 137A. Developing leaves,             lower surface: 138A. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             137B. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: 138B. Venation,             upper surface: 139A. Venation, lower surface: 144A. Petiole,             upper surface: 144A. Petiole, lower surface: 144B. -   Flowering description:     -   -   Arrangement/appearance.—Zygomorphic solitary flowers             arranged on terminal racemes; flowering acropetally towards             apex. Flowers bilabiate with nectar spur. Flowers face             upright to outwardly. Flowers last about eight to ten days             on the plant. Flowers not persistent.         -   Natural flowering season.—Natural flowering season is early             spring to fall in northern Europe; flowering continuous             during this period. Early flowering, plants start flowering             about five to six weeks after pinching.         -   Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering with about 22 to 28             flower and flower buds per raceme at one time.         -   Fragrance.—Floral-like; faint.         -   Inflorescence length.—About 12 to 15 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 3 to 3.5 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 1.8 to 2 cm.         -   Flower depth.—About 2 to 2.2 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Shape: Rotund. Length: About 2 mm. Diameter:             About 2 mm. Color: 138A.         -   Petals.—Arrangement/shape: Five petals. Four upper petals             are fused at base to form an upright lobed and arched banner             lip; lower petal modified into a larger lip with nectar spur             and convex oval protuberance which serves as pollinator             nectar guide and landing platform. Shape: Oval to obovate.             Apex: Rounded. Margin: Entire. Length: Upper lip petals:             About 1.5 to 1.7 cm. Lower lip petal: About 1 to 1.1 cm.             Width: Upper lip petals: About 4 to 15 mm. Lower lip petal:             About 1.5 cm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             velvety. Color: When opening, upper surface: Upper lip             petals: 69D. Lower lip petal: 155C. When opening, lower             surface: 155C. Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces:             N155D. Nectar guide: Close to 4A. Nectar spur, when opening:             158A. Nectar spur, fully opened: 160B.         -   Sepals.—Quantity: Five-parted, star-shaped calyx. Shape:             Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire.             Length: About 1.5 to 2 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, immature,             upper and lower surfaces: 144A. Color, mature, upper and             lower surfaces: 144A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1.5 to 2 cm. Diameter: About 0.5 to             1 mm. Strength: Strong. Angle: About 35 to 45° from the             stem. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144A.         -   Androecium.—Stamen number: Two per flower. Anther shape:             Rounded. Anther length: Less than 0.5 mm. Anther color: 3B.             Amount of pollen: Moderate. Pollen color: 3B.         -   Gynoecium.—Pistil number: One per flower. Pistil length:             Less than 1 mm. Style length: Less than 1 mm. Style color:             144C. Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma color: 144B. Ovary             color: 144C.         -   Seed.—Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Color: 200D. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Nemesia have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Nemesias. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Nemesia have been observed     to be tolerant to temperatures ranging from 0° to 40° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Nemesia plant named ‘Sumnem 04’, as illustrated and described. 